It's Too Late
by argentenipinkini
Summary: Miley and Oliver wake up one morning in each other's arms, but they don't remember how they got that way, right? Well, Oliver does. Now things are awkward between them, but maybe, just maybe, they'll be able to work things out. Moliver
1. Wake Up Call

Summary: Miley and Oliver wake up one morning in each other's arms, but they don't remember how they got that way. Lilly is freaked because she doesn't know where they are and Jackson is acting really flirty with her. Are they together or something? And what is going to happen between Miley and Oliver now?

A/N: A new Hannah story by me! It takes place in the gang's junior year of high school. Jackson's a frosh in college. Also, this story might not be that appropriate for the younger audiences for some content and maybe sooome language. Just a warning. Please review!!!!!!!!!!!

Disclaimer:I don't own Hannah Montana and anything related to the Disney Channel Show. The title is the first three lines of the Boy Likes Girls song _Hero/Heroine_. _Wake Up Call_ is a Hawthorne Heights song.

**--It's Too Late--**

Chapter One: Wake Up Call

To say that Miley Stewart woke up surprised was an understatement. It was more like she was A: horrified, B: confused and the most important, C: curious. Yes, it was true, Miley was definitely curious. She couldn't understand, or even better, _comprehend _why, oh why, she was curled up on an unfamiliar looking couch, clutching the waist of a floppy brown-haired boy with thick dark lashes that almost touched the top of his slightly rosy cheeks. If she moved her head forward about one inch, she would actually be able to touch the guy's face with hers, kiss him if she was willing. The only thing was, the sleep in her eyes hadn't been rubbed away yet, and she was having trouble recognizing the person next to her was. She wasn't sure if she even knew him, and that thought scared her. She also didn't know if she wanted to kiss him, but she had a feeling that if she did, it wouldn't be the first time.

_Oh, my gosh! What am I doing? What did I _do_ last night?_ she frantically asked herself. She quickly tried to think about the events from the day before. She could remember waking up, eating breakfast and then taking a long shower, but the rest of the day had obviously faded from her immediate memory. She lifted her head up from the arm of the guy who she was practically tangled up with. She looked around and immediately squinted her eyes and put her head back down because the sun that had woken her up was now glaring right into her eyes from the window across the room. She felt like it was trying to torture her for her supposedly promiscuous night. All of a sudden she had a thought. She looked down at herself.

_Oh, thank God. I still have my clothes on. _Well that was good to know, at least. At least she could pretend that maybe, just maybe, she wasn't a complete slut or something for waking up next to a completely unfamiliar person. Also, she couldn't possibly think of what she would do if she had found that any piece of her clothing was not in its rightful place on her body.

She moved her head back to where it had been when she woke up, hoping to get a closer look at the mystery guy. When she did, she found herself staring directly into the brown eyes of her overnight sleepover buddy. Apparently while she had been observing her surroundings, he had woken up and decided not to let her know.

"Morning?" he said groggily, but it came out more like a question. Miley's eyes widened when he spoke. She was looking straight at him and he started to look a little familiar to her. His voice seemed completely familiar to her, too, but his name still didn't come to her straight away. She kept he gaze locked with his, thinking hard, and gradually the realization of who he was slowly dawned on her. She knew this person. She knew exactly who she was lying next to. Of _course_ she knew him. He was no stranger; in fact, he was the complete opposite.

"Oh wow," she said out loud, more to herself. She couldn't believe her predicament. How did she get here?

----------

"Hey, Jackson, do you know where Oliver is?" Jackson Stewart looked up at Lilly Truscott and smiled. He was stretched out on a long towel on the beach. He had just gone for a quick morning swim and he was letting the sun dry the drops of water off of his tanned body.

"I haven't, actually, no. Why do you think I'd know where Oken is?" Lilly was standing in front of his head, looking down on him, blocking the sun.

"I don't know. I was just asking."

"Do you think you could move to the left just a little bit?" he asked, motioning for her to move to the right. Lilly gave him a confused look.

"Which way do you want me to go?"

"To the left! You're in my sun." He was still pointing to the right.

"Whatever." She stayed where she was. "Do you at least know where Miley is?" Jackson nodded his head 'no'.

"Where _are_ those two?" Lilly asked just as Jackson reached up and wrapped his arms around her legs. She squealed in surprise and immediately fell to her knees, dangerously close to Jackson's head.

"That's better," he said.

----------

"Hi," Oliver Oken said and gave Miley a weak smile. She tried to smile back but found that it was hard to move her lips and form her usual carefree beam.

"Hi," she finally got out, along with an uncomfortable smile in return to his. "What time is it?"

"I'm not sure." She nodded slowly.

"Um, can I ask you something?" he asked her. She nodded again. She didn't think she would be able to form anymore new words for the next few minutes, at least.

"Why…" he paused, and his face took on a look that Miley translated as a look of contemplation and deep thought. "Why are we, you know, all cuddled up together?" She just stared at him, with no answer. He waited. She looked down the length of their two bodies. They were still lying really close together since none of them had bothered to move yet. If anyone were to walk in on them, they would see a teenage guy and girl lying on a black leather couch, her two legs in between his, her arms wrapped around his waist, and his left arm under her head. His right arm was holding her right shoulder close to his. Their faces were still only about an inch apart, noses almost touching. It was incredibly weird for them.

Finally, after about an eternity of silence and staring at each other, she started to giggle. It was a quiet, slow giggle that started at the back of her throat and eventually turned into a hearty laugh.

"What?" he asked. He couldn't grasp at what she could possibly find so funny.

"Nothing." She was laughing because she found it ridiculous that she was hugging her best guy friend of four whole years tightly to her body in a very aggressive, possessive way. And the fact that she didn't know how she got that way, and where she was. She also found it funny that he seemed to be holding on to her just as tightly and possessively as she was to him. It was just plain strange. They were close, but they had never been _this_ close. Mostly, she was laughing because she didn't know what else to do.

"I don't know why we're, you know, 'all cuddled up together'." She ended up using his words to describe their very awkward position after she finished laughing.

She started to sit up, and he, noticing her movements, quickly tried to do so as well. It wasn't a good idea. They ended up bumping heads.

"Oh, oww." Miley said. She tried to rub her head but found it hard to free her arms. Oliver just grunted in pain. Miley tried moving again, but suddenly, with a loud thump, she found herself on the floor, splayed awkwardly on top of a shocked Oliver. He didn't seem to get what just happened.

"Um…" he didn't know what to say. Miley didn't let him finish his sentence. She quickly rolled off of him and stood up. She stretched her arm out and his brain was working normally enough to recognize the gesture. He grabbed her hand and she helped him stand up beside him. Then they both sat down on the couch, each on different ends. There was a pretty large gap between them. Miley spoke up first.

"Well, I'm not gonna lie, Oliver. This is kinda weird."

"You're not lying," he said.

"What happened last night?"

"I honestly don't remember. I just remember getting ready to go somewhere and then, having a _lot_ of fun." He smiled briefly at the thought, but still couldn't really picture _why_ he had been having so much fun.

"I don't really remember anything either." Just then, she gasped. "Oh no. Do you think we both got drunk or something?" Her blue eyes were practically bulging out of her head; she was so appalled by the thought. Oliver cupped his hand in front of his mouth and then gagged.

"Well, if we did, it would sure explain my breath." Miley copied what he did and was shocked to smell how bad her breath was. She wasn't sure if she smelled any alcohol, though.

"Oh man. I need some toothpaste. And a toothbrush. Eww."

"Hey Miley?"

"Yeah?"

"Do you know where we are?" She abruptly remembered that they were in an unfamiliar place. They both looked around. Oliver even turned in a full circle.

"Well, it's obvious that we're in some sort of den of family room."

"Yeah, but whose?" Miley asked. She was starting to freak out.

"I don't know. You've never been in here before?"

"I don't think so…" There was a door a couple feet away from them. They both noticed it at the same time and headed towards it. Oliver was about to grab the door knob and open it when it opened itself. Miley jumped in shock and instinctively wrapped her hands around Oliver's left arm. She had no idea what was going to happen.

----------

A/N: You know how it goes…how am I supposed to know if I should continue with this story if I don't get any feedback?


	2. We Intertwined

A/N: Merry Christmas--tomorrow! It's vacation, so I have plenty of time to update at my heart's desire. Reviews are definitely my heart's desire for this fic, and my other one, too, so don't forget! I hope that even though it's Christmas time, people who read this will review. It's only nice. I've given you a present; it's only nice to give me one back: )

Disclaimer:I don't own Hannah Montana and anything related to the Disney Channel Show. The title is the first three lines of the Boy Likes Girls song _Hero/Heroine_. _We Intertwined _is a song by The Hush Sound.

**--It's Too Late--**

Chapter Two: We Intertwined

"Whoa! Hey," said the blonde haired girl who had opened the door and was now standing in front of the two best friends. Oliver scratched the back of his head and then lifted his hand up in a weird sort of wave. Miley didn't recognize the girl.

"Hi," she said. "Is this your house?" The girl smiled. She was holding a black trash bag.

"Yeah. I didn't know that anyone was still here. Did you guys sleep on the couch?"

"We did, yes," replied Oliver. "It was very comfortable." Miley elbowed Oliver in the side when he said this.

"So, was there some sort of party here last night?" Miley asked. The girl gave her a look that Miley translated as, 'Are you serious?'

"Yes," she said slowly. "There was. Pretty wild and a huge success, if I do say so myself." She focused her look on Miley and then frowned curiously. "Why? Don't you remember?"

"Actually—" Oliver started, but Miley cut him off.

"No, we don't. Both of us." The girl laughed.

"Oh really? Had that much to drink, did you?" The girl smirked and Miley made a face.

"Well, we're not really sure. I don't _think_ I had anything to drink. It's not really my thing."

"Me neither!" Oliver put in quickly. The girl nodded, but she didn't seem to believe them.

"Yeah, _okay_." The three stared at each other for a few seconds, Miley peeved at the fact that the girl didn't believe she was straight-edge, but then the girl blinked and said, "Well! I need to finish picking up the trash." She motioned around the room, and that's when Miley and Oliver first noticed all of the trash that littered the floor and table tops of the room.

"Oh. Do you want any help?" Oliver asked, not really wanting to.

"That's okay. You guys should get home."

"That's a good idea," Miley said, a little coldly. Oliver took Miley's hand in his and pulled her out of the room before Miley could get any angrier, or worse, start remembering things.

Miley said a quiet "Goodbye" to the girl, but the blonde was already farther into the room, picking up the remains from her "wild" party.

----------

"Well, that was really, _really_ weird, buddy," Miley said as they weaved their way around the house and out the main door. They found their selves almost instantly on the beach, and still holding hands. Miley looked down at their entwined fingers, and Oliver laughed nervously.

"Oh," he said, and reclaimed his hand, letting it hang loosely at his side. Miley felt a feeling of loss for a brief second, but then she laughed and shrugged the feeling off. Why would she want Oliver to keep holding her hand? They weren't a couple.

"Okay, so I guess we should go home."

"That sounds like a good idea. I'll walk you back," he stated. She nodded in agreement.

"It's a good thing daddy's not home this weekend. Oh my gosh, imagine the massacre," Miley contemplated, and then smiled at her luck. "It _is_ the weekend?" she asked hopefully.

"Yeah…I'm pretty sure that it's Saturday."

"Right. Perfect then. I'll just have to convince Jackson that I slept over Lilly's house and everything will be fine and dandy."

"I don't think that's a good idea, lil' sis," said a slow southern drawl behind them. They both turned around quickly, and found themselves face to face with Lilly and Jackson.

"How'd you guys get here?" Miley asked nervously. _Oh man_, she though. _Busted_.

"I think a better question is, what are _you_ doing here? And where have you been all morning? Lilly's been freaking out, and I can't say that I'm not totally interested in your answer." Jackson sounded terribly angry.

"Uh…" said Oliver, not sure of what to say.

"That all you can come up with, boy?" Jackson asked in an almost menacing voice, taking a step closer to Oliver. Lilly was surprised to hear Jackson sounding so daunting. _What happened to Miley's silly older brother?_ she thought.

"Guys!" she quickly piped up, stepping forward and grabbing the arms of her two best friends. "Where have you been?" Miley looked at Oliver.

"We might as well tell the truth." Oliver shrugged.

"Okay. We were at a party yesterday, and we ended up staying over for the night."

"WHAT?" Jackson yelled. "You spent the night with my sister?" Jackson was furious. Oliver's eyes widened. He was about a foot taller than Jackson, but he was still intimidated by him at that moment in time.

"Well, uh, um—"

"Oliver, don't answer that," Miley snapped. She turned to her brother. "Jackson, calm down." She touched her brother's shoulder. "Stop with the interrogating. Nothing happened between us." She looked back at Oliver. He looked really guilty for some reason. She gave him a look that clearly meant, 'stop it with the face'. "We just slept on a couch. It was perfectly okay." Jackson continued to glare at Oliver. Lilly decided to pitch in again. She didn't want any fist fights to start up.

"Hey, _I_ believe you, Miley. And I'm sure Oliver was a perfect gentleman during their sleepover. Hey, what do you guys think about going to get some yummy breakfast?" She rubbed her belly for full effect.

"Good idea," Miley said, shaking her head vigorously, thankful for the speedy suggestion. "What time is it, anyways?"

"It's almost ten," Lilly answered, looking at her watch. The two girls linked arms and started to walk down the road. Lilly leaned her head close to Miley's and whispered, "You _will_ tell me everything that really happened, right?"

"There's nothing to tell," she replied back. Lilly frowned at her for a moment.

"I find that hard to believe."

"Lilly, _nothing_ happened."

"Okay. I guess I'll just have to hear all the juicy details from the Smokin' Oken!" Then, Lilly unlinked her arm from Miley's and ran away. Miley chased after her, screaming, "Lilly! What do you mean!" One look back at the boys found that they were surprisingly still following them. She continued to chase down her best friend.

"Well, they're just weird," Jackson said in his normal southern twang to Oliver, apparently over his big brother toughness act.

"Yeah, I agree." They could hear both of the girls laughing loudly and yelling at each other, but couldn't understand the words that were being said.

"So, nothing really happened last night? You guys just went to a party? Nothing fishy went on?" Oliver gulped. He didn't know what to do. He felt trapped. How was he supposed to answer Jackson's question without relaying all of the events from the night before that were horrifying, surprising, wonderful and most of all, extremely personal? He didn't want to tell Jackson something that Miley wouldn't want her older brother to know. Also, he didn't want Jackson to know the details for his own selfish reasons. He knew it was greedy of him to want to keep the memories to himself, but that's just how he felt.

Oliver felt awful. He was a liar; a big, fat liar. He had woken up that morning, a bit surprised like Miley, but only for about one second. After that second he had time to think about the situation he was in, and soon had an unpleasant feeling in his stomach. He just knew that she was probably regretting the night before. That's why he had lied when he told Miley that he didn't remember the night before. The truth was, he remembered every single second that had ensued, and even though some bad things had occurred, it had been the best night of his life.

The funny thing was, Miley didn't seem to remember anything at all, which he decided wasn't too shocking after all. True; he wasn't exactly sure if that was a good thing that she didn't remember, but right now it worked in his favor. She couldn't regret what she didn't remember.

Oliver wasn't proud of his deceit, but once again, he was being greedy. He finally made the decision that he was going to lie once more, to Jackson, at least until he found the strength to come clean to Miley.

"Yeah. It was just a party. It ended late and Miley and I were too tired to leave and head home. The girl whose house we were at offered us a couch, and we took the opportunity to crash. That's it." Jackson looked at him doubtfully as if waiting for Oliver to twitch and reveal his dirty lying self, but Oliver's face remained composed, despite his rapidly beating heart, and Jackson was forced to accept his somewhat vague answer.

"Well, good," he said. "We should catch up with the girls, or else we won't know where they've gone for breakfast." They both started forward at a light jog, Jackson still in his swimming trunks and slightly damp shirt, Oliver in his wrinkled clothing from the night before.

"Hey, wait up!" Jackson called to the girls.

----------

A/N: OH MY! OLIVER KNOWS WHAT HAPPENED!? I'll update faster with comments!


	3. Have You Got It In You?

A/N: Merry Christmas! Oh, and I know that the title might seem confusing to you guys, but it will make sense eventually. Don't worry. And though I use song titles for the chapter titles, it doesn't mean that they really have anything to do with those songs. Okay? Please REVIEW dearies.

Disclaimer:I don't own Hannah Montana and anything related to the Disney Channel Show. The title is the first three lines of the Boy Likes Girls song _Hero/Heroine_. _Have You Got It In You? _is a song by Imogen Heap.

**--It's Too Late—**

Chapter Three: Have You Got It In You?

_The Day Before_

Miley woke up early on Friday morning because she wanted to get a head start on the first day free of her dad. He was gone for the whole weekend doing business and she and Jackson had the whole house to themselves. It was a wonderful feeling of freedom.

First, she showered, picked out some clothes, and then went downstairs, only to find Jackson already awake, dressed before her and cooking breakfast.

"I see you've got the same idea as me, sis," Jackson said after she greeted him with a cheerful "Good morning!"

"Yeah, I'm just excited about the weekend. I can do whatever I want and daddy can't say no."

"You got that right," Jackson replied, grinning. Then he frowned. "But _I_ can tell you 'no'."

"What? That's not fair!" Miley narrowed her eyes at her older brother. "You _wouldn't_."

"I _so_ would," Jackson answered, nodding his head. "Absolutely no keggers, Miles. And no boys. I won't have any of that under my roof."

"Jackson, it's not _you're_ roof, and you know I don't drink!"

"And?" Jackson coaxed. Miley rolled her eyes.

"_And_, you know I don't have a boyfriend."

"That's right! And you ain't gonna get one anytime soon, especially this weekend," he stated. Miley stuck her tongue out at him. It was very elementary. He stuck his tongue back out at her and made a face to go along with it.

"Eww, gross."

"You like it," he said.

"Ha." Miley shook her head and then asked for some eggs.

"Comin right up!"

Ah, siblinghood.

----------

"So, Lilly, what are the plans for today?" Miley asked her best friend about an hour after breakfast.

"Oh, man, Miley! I can't hang out with you today. I have to go shopping for a new board." At that Miley visibly grew down. Lilly couldn't see her, of course since they were talking on their cell phones. "You can come if you want, but it'll be pretty boring." Miley frowned at the idea of spending the day searching endlessly for a skateboard that Lilly would claim to have to be soul mates with.

"What's wrong with your old one?" she asked.

"Miley, you know it's too old, and one of the wheel's fell off. You watched me wipe out!"

"Oh yeah. I remember." She paused and thought. "Fine. I'll just hang out with Oliver, then."

"Sure. You do that. But maybe we can get together tonight?"

"I don't know, Lilly. If you've found the perfect board, you're probably not gonna wanna spend anytime with little ole me."

"Oh, har har har."

"What? Just speakin' the truth!"

"Okay, well, I got to go. I'll talk to you later!"

"Bye!" They both hung up and then Miley without delay called her other best friend.

"Smokin' Oken at your service!" he answered.

"Oliver, you knew that I was the one calling."

"Yeah, true, but that's why it's okay for me to answer that way," he said. Miley smiled.

"I guess you're right. It would be pretty embarrassing if anyone but me and Lilly heard you call yourself that."

"What are you trying to say?"

"I just want to remind you that you've been calling yourself the Smokin' Oken since the eighth grade."

"What's your point?"

"Fine. Nothing. It's a mighty fine nickname!" she exclaimed, thickening her Tennessee accent.

"Why thank you, Miley. I appreciate that."

"You should."

"Why are you calling, may I ask, at, gasp, 9:30 in the morning?"

"Just wanted to know how my Oliver friend was doing, and wondering if he wanted to hang out with me today. Oh, and by the way, you're not supposed to say 'gasp', you're supposed to actually _gasp_."

"Haha, you're a funny one."

"I know. So what about it? What does Oliver think?"

"About hanging out with his Miley friend? Well sure! I don't have any other plans…planned." Miley smiled widely.

"Yay! What should we do?" Oliver thought for a moment.

"I don't know. The beach?"

"Great idea! Let's go!"

"Right now?"

"Sure, why not? Let's get this day started already!"

"MILEY!" Oliver suddenly yelled into the phone.

"Yes?" she answered a bit more quietly.

"Why are you so..." he tried to think of the right word and came up with, "animated?" Miley thought abut his question.

"I guess I just want to put in as much fun this weekend as I can. You don't know how nice it is to not have my daddy breathing down my back. Not that he's really a bother or anything, I totally love him to death, but _you_ know."

"Yeah. I guess. Do you realize that you are talking a mile a minute?"

"Yes."

"Well, okay then. As long as you know."

"I'm fully aware, Oliver. No Hannah!"

"What?" Oliver asked, with a large sigh. She was almost too much to handle, especially at 9:30 in the morning.

"I have no Hannah Montana business all weekend! I can just be Miley. Miley Stewart. Oh, I am _so_ excited."

"Whoopee," Oliver added.

"Don't be so sarcastic."

"I'm perfectly serious."

"Okay, be at my house in five minutes," she said before promptly hanging up. Oliver was left listening to the dial tone.

"Okay...not sure what I just got myself into," he said as he shut his cell phone.

----------

Oliver showed up at Miley's fifteen minutes later. He wasn't stupid; he knew it took girls more than five minutes to get ready to go out. When he got there, he still had to wait for her on the couch and watched TV to pass the time. He was reminded why it was worth it to wait for Miley, however, when she stepped into the living room wearing a large sun hat and an overflowing beach bag. She was dressed casually in a t-shirt and flowy skirt, but looked absolutely gorgeous. He could barely keep his eyes off of her.

"Hey Oliver. You been waitin' long?" she asked him, and sat down next to him on the couch.

"Nope. Just got here," he lied. She grinned, and he melted a little bit inside.

"Great!" She grabbed his arm and stood up. "Let's go!" And just like that, she pulled him out of the house and down to the beach.

They ended up spending the whole morning and afternoon together, and Oliver couldn't help thinking that it was as close to going on a date with Miley as he would ever get.

_Actually_, he thought, _it practically _is_ a date_. The idea of him and Miley together as a couple made him smile broadly. Miley noticed and questioned him.

"Why are ya so smiley?" she asked playfully while they were drying up together in the sun after splashing around in the water.

"Nothing much. And I wouldn't call myself smiley. _You're_ the one that's called Smiley Miley," he reminded her and was rewarded with yet another one of her dimpled grins.

"Don't I know it."

It was about that time that they were approached by a teenage boy about their age, maybe a little older, who was passing out little flyers. He immediately went up to Miley, flashed her a smile he must have thought would make her go crazy, which it _didn't_, and handed her the piece of paper.

"Hey," he said. "Make sure you stop by this party tonight. It's gonna be sweet." He waited for her to smile, and then took off down the beach. When he left, Oliver leaned closer to her to read what was on the flyer. It just said "Party Time!" and then directions to a house on the beach.

"Ooh, this might be fun," Miley mused.

"I don't know. There's probably going to be lots of obnoxious people from school there that I do not want to see this summer, lots of booze and many awkward situations." He didn't know at the time how correct he was.

"Come on, Smokin' Oken! You know you want to go!"

"Are you going to get all hyper again?"

"Only if you refuse to take me to this party," she said and laughed.

He couldn't help what he said next, he wanted to spend the whole day with her if her could.

"Fiiine," he gave in. "We'll go. But don't blame me if anything weird happens."

"I wouldn't dare," she said and smiled some more.

"There goes Smiley Miley again." They both laughed at his cheesiness.

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A/N: What do you think? Sorry I didn't actually get to the party….next time!


	4. Who Said?

A/N: Here's the next part. It's another flashback. This should explain a lot. I'll stop talking now. : )

Oh! There is going to be some swearing and other stuff in this chapter. Just warning ya.

Disclaimer:I don't own Hannah Montana and anything related to the Disney Channel Show. The title is the first three lines of the Boy Likes Girls song _Hero/Heroine_. _Who said? _is a song by Hannah Montana, of course!

**--It's Too Late--**

Chapter Four: Who Said

_The Night Before_

Oliver was once again sitting by himself on the Stewart's couch, waiting for Miley while she got ready for them to go out. They were actually going to that stupid beach party, even against Oliver's better judgment. He didn't know how to say no to her, though. That was his problem. He'd do almost anything she wanted him to. The only thing was, she had absolutely no idea she had him _that_ whipped. She didn't know she had him whipped, at all, really.

"Okay, I'm ready!" she said as she walked into the living room. She stopped when she got to the couch and struck a pose that was particular to Hannah Montana. "How do I look?" she asked. Oliver laughed at her overexcitement.

"Nice choice of outfit," he commented. She was wearing simple blue jeans and a halter top. He picked at his shirt and then said, "I hope this is up to your standards." He was wearing a kelly green Lacoste polo.

"It's great. Come on." They left her house without leaving a note for Jackson, or any sign of where they'd be all night.

"Um, does Jackson know where you're going tonight?" Oliver asked nervously as they walked down the road.

"Pssh. Don't worry about my brother. He gave me my rules, and as long as I follow them, he doesn't have to know where I am." Oliver raised his right eyebrow when she mentioned rules.

"He gave you rules?" Miley nodded.

"I know. He's so lame." Oliver chuckled.

"So, what are they?"

"Well," Miley used her fingers to count them off, "I'm not allowed to drink and I'm not allowed to hang out with boys, basically?"

"You're not allowed to hang out with boys?"

"Oh, don't worry, Oliver. You don't count," she said while laughing.

"Um, gee, thanks. That makes me feel a whole lot better." Miley stopped laughing.

"I didn't mean anything by that," she said.

"Yeah, I know. I was just being sarcastic. Why would Jackson have to worry about me?"

"Don't know. Oh, and technically, he said I'm not allowed to get a boyfriend. He's such a freak older brother."

"I don't know, Miley. I think he's probably got the right idea." It was Miley's turn to raise her eyebrow.

"What do you mean by that?" she asked. Oliver, realizing what he'd just said, blushed.

"Uh, nothing. Forget I said that," he replied and laughed. Miley continued to stare at him for a moment, but then she shrugged her shoulders and let it go.

A minute later, they arrived at their destination. There was music pumping through hidden speakers and people everywhere; inside the house and outside.

"Whoa," Miley exclaimed. "Lilly's definitely missing something, here." They were both staring at the house, and Miley had her mouth hanging open. Oliver reached over and pushed her chin up.

"Yeah, she is. But, uh, Miles? I don't think it's such a good idea to let these people know how new you are to this type of scene." Miley nodded fervently.

"Good idea," she agreed. Then she grabbed his hand and pulled him into the house. "Party time!" she squeaked. Oliver rolled his eyes.

----------

Half an hour later found Oliver sitting alone on a couch. He sat there, bored as hell, chewing on some questionable popcorn that was being offered on the coffee table in front of him. Miley was no where to be seen. He'd lost her almost as soon as they made it into the house. One minute they were holding hands and he was wondering where his luck had come from, and the next, she was letting go and running off somewhere into the crowd. He hadn't seen her since then, but he was confident that eventually, if he stayed in one spot, she would come back to him.

Poor boy, he was so totally falling for her.

-----------

Miley was in a good mood.

That was actually putting it lightly. She was excited, exuberant, _happy_; she felt full of life. She was having so much fun, and for the first time in her life, she decided that maybe, alcohol was not that bad. That maybe, it was good. When it came right down to it, though, all she was was drunk.

"Olivver!" she screamed when she caught sight of her best friend lounging on one side of the room she had recently entered. Oliver looked up right when he heard his name being called, more like slurred, only to find Miley launching herself at him. She was actually just trying to sit next to him but she ended up tripping on her own foot and falling into Oliver's outstretched arms.

"Whoa, Miley. What's up?" he asked, laughing at her excitement to see him. He patted her back and then helped move her so that she was sitting on his left side.

"Nothing," she said. "I just wanted to say 'hi!' to my bestest friend in the world." Oliver chuckled awkwardly, starting to realize that she wasn't exactly in her normal state.

"Uh, don't let Lilly catch you saying that, Miles."

"Oh, who cares what Lilly thinks? She's not herrre. And that's herrr choice." Oliver turned towards her and grinned at him.

"Sooo? What have you been doing?" he asked, pretty sure he already knew the answer, and she started to giggle. At first, it started out small, but soon she was giggling almost uncontrollably, and her whole body was shaking. She started to slide off of the couch and Oliver had to stop her from doing so.

"Okay, that sort of answered my question," he stated.

"No it didn't! I didn't say anything!"

"Yeah, I know, but I can guess."

"So, are you saying that you already know that I…," she paused when she said this and then leaned closer towards him and finished with a whisper, "had a beer?" she asked. Oliver grimaced and pulled his face away from hers. She just started giggling again.

"Well, if your breath is any indication, I'd say you've had a little more than _one_."

"Actually, you are correct, sir! I've had thisss many!" she said, and held up her right hand. She had all five fingers up. Oliver's eyes widened.

"You've had five beers?" Miley nodded happily.

"I think maybe, yup." She nodded some more. "Alls I know for sure is they were gooood."

"I'm sure…" Oliver said sarcastically. Miley frowned. She knew Oliver well enough, that even when she was smashed, she could tell when he was upset or angry, particularly when it was towards her.

"Are you judging me?" she asked, still frowning.

"Am I disapproving your behavior right now?" he rephrased. "Hmm, let me think about that question for a second. Yes! I am." He was really starting to get angry now. "Miley, what were you thinking? We just got here," he looked at his watch, "less than an hour ago, and you're drunk off your ass. And not only that, you ditched me right away and decide to let me know about your drunken state by falling over your own feet and landing on me."

"Hey! Stop yelling at me. I came here to have fun."

"Miley, you never drink! What made you think it was a good idea to start now?" He was gripping her shoulders now, hoping that maybe, just maybe, some sense would be knocked into her and she would start to sober up.

"Stop shaking me, Oliver!" He quickly let go of her. "I don't need this! Why are you trying to ruin my night?"

"I'm not trying to 'ruin' your night, Miley. I just want you to be safe."

"I am being safe! I stopped drinking after the sixth drink because I knew I'd had enough," she countered.

"_Six_ drinks? You told me you only had five!"

"Well, I lied!" she yelled back.

"Miley, not only do you never drink, it was one of your brother's rules! What has gotten into, you? Please answer me this time." Instead, she stood up, rather shakily and stepped over his legs.

"I don't need to put up with this, Oken." She only called him by his last name when she was joking around with him, or really, really angry. Oliver knew that she was not in a joking mood. "Maybe I just wanted to try something new. I'm sure you remember the line from one of Hannah's first songs. Well this is me," she pointed to herself; "going 'out of control'!" she yelled and lifted her arms in the air, starting to dance to the loud music in the background. Then she stopped suddenly. "And this is me being 'cool as ice'," she said before walking away.

Oliver stayed where he was. He was still shocked about what had just happened. Then, after sitting still for about thirty seconds, he kicked the leg of the coffee table furiously, knocking the popcorn bowl to the floor, and stood up to go after Miley. She was still his best friend, and he wasn't going to let her just go off into the crowd alone again, especially in her drunken state.

"Miley!" he called to her. He could still see her back. She turned when he called her.

"Leave me alone, Oliver!" she yelled. Then she grabbed a red plastic cup that a guy was holding out for her, and took a big gulp. Oliver rushed over to her and grabbed the drink from her hands.

"Miley! Stop." She glared at him and took the drink back.

"What do you think you're doing?" she asked.

"You don't know what's in that drink," he whispered to her. She rolled her eyes and took another sip. Then she turned to the guy who had given it to her and Oliver recognized him as being the kid who had invited them to the party.

"Come on, _Matthew_. Let's go for that walk you mentioned earlier," she said, finishing the beer, dropping the cup and grabbing the guy's hand. The kid named Matt smirked at Oliver, shrugged his shoulders, and followed Miley, still gripping her hand. Oliver was incensed. He stood where they left him, fuming. And not only that, but he was jealous; he didn't like that Miley was going to go off for a walk with some stranger. Miley was supposed to be at the party with _him_. She wasn't supposed to be drinking and then leaving the party with some jerk.

He made to go sit back down on the couch, thinking that he would wait until she came back, but something in his gut told him to go after her. He didn't like the look of the Matt kid, and he especially didn't like the way he had smirked at him when she wasn't looking.

He decided to go after them, and weaved his way through the room, searching for the exit. He went out the same way they had come in and when he was outside again, and the cool breeze blew on his face, he stopped and took a deep breath. This night was so not going the way he had thought it would. He knew it was a bad idea to come, but he didn't think that Miley would end up getting so out of control. He knew it had something to do with that guy, though. He decided that it had been because of him that she had started drinking.

"Bastard," he whispered before he headed down to the beach, in the direction that seemed the most plausible way to go in search for them.

It didn't take long before he found them. They had gotten pretty far from the house, in the few minutes they'd been out, and Oliver was relieved that he had left when he did.

They weren't holding hands anymore, just standing face to face and Miley was yelling. He couldn't quite hear what she was saying, but he stayed where he was, happy to watch things unfold as Miley finally realized what a jerk he was.

Miley was still yelling at the Matt guy when suddenly he grabbed her shoulders and kissed her. Oliver swore when he did so, but then Miley pulled away quickly and slapped him on the cheek, hard. He could hear it from where he was, standing behind a palm tree.

"Go Miley," he whispered, grinning. But then something happened. The guy grabbed her again and tried kissing her once more. She tried to slap him again, but he grabbed her wrist and Oliver heard her cry out in pain.

"What the fuck?" he whispered and started to walk further down the beach to where they were. When Oliver was just behind them, he saw that Matt trying to pick her up, and did so successfully; Miley was a tall girl, but she was still small. He lifted her easily even though she was kicking around and screaming. He pushed her into the sand and tried to get on top of her, but Oliver ran up just in time to grab his shoulders and push him away.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" he yelled. Matt looked surprised to see another person. He was obviously drunk, because he didn't seem to remember seeing Oliver five minutes before in the house.

"Dude, this chick was asking for it!" Oliver looked down at Miley who was crying and hugging her legs to her chest.

"Asking for _what_ exactly?"

"You know what sluts want," he answered crudely and then made an obscene gesture. That's when Oliver lost it and punched the guy in the nose.

"Shit!" he yelled, grabbing his right hand and rubbing it. He had never punched anyone before, at least not in a violent way. The guy was holding his nose in his hands and Oliver could see blood.

"Fuck! What was that for?"

"This girl," he pointed at Miley who was still sitting on the sand at his feet, "is not a slut. I don't know what made you ever think that Miley would ever even give you the time of day, but you were gravely mistaken." Matt started to laugh manically.

"Man, you don't even know. She was so easy earlier. I offered her one drink because she looked hot, and ten minutes later she was completely gone, exactly how I knew she would be. Dancing on the table tops and teasing all of the guys by starting to take her top off. She's a _fucking_ whore." Oliver listened to every word he said, but when he heard him call her another name, he punched him again, this time in the right eye. Matt swore loudly again.

"What!?"

"You're so wrong, buddy. That's not how she really is. You got her drunk."

"She wanted the beers."

"I think you should go," Oliver said, and pointed for him to leave. Matt was still holding his nose.

"Fine. I'm going. You wanna have a go at her, too?" he asked and started to laugh again, but Oliver's fist connecting with his gut made him bend over, whimpering, instead.

"Shut up," he said. Then, he turned to where Miley was, and offered her his hand. She took it hesitantly and he told her, "Everything is all right." She nodded at him, and tears were still streaming down her cheeks.

Oliver wiped them away with his hands. "Shush. Stop crying Miley. This jerk isn't worth it." Matt was still on the ground a few feet away from them.

"Oh God," he said when he heard Oliver whispering to her. "You're _such_ a hero." His voice was dripping with sarcasm, and Oliver couldn't understand why this guy was such an idiot. He left Miley and grabbed him by the collar of his shirt.

"I told you to get out of here. Go!" he said. There was something in his eyes that made Matt realize that it was better for the future of his face if he took that advice. He ran away like the coward he was. Only a coward would try to take advantage of a girl who wasn't sober. And only a bastard would be the one to get her drunk in the first place _just_ to take advantage of her.

When he turned back to Miley, she put her arms around his neck and hugged him tightly. He just hugged her back and ran his hands up and down her shoulders. She was shaking.

"Are you cold?" he asked softly. She nodded, but her face was still on his shoulder. He pulled her closer to him, hoping to warm her a little with his own body.

"Miley, are you okay? Did he hurt you?"

"Not really…" she whispered. "I just feel horrible. I can't believe I fell for his fake charm."

"What do you mean? Was he lying about what he said about you?"

"Not really. I did do those things he said, but only because like you said, I was drunk." Her knees gave out on her and Oliver had to hold her up so she wouldn't fall. "I still am a bit," she admitted and laughed bitterly.

"Miley, why did you start drinking with him?"

"I don't know. It seemed like a good idea at the time. He seemed really nice. And you weren't there to tell me not to," she said in a semi-accusing tone.

"What? You're the one that left me once we walked through the door."

"Yeah, but I thought you were following me!" They both stared at each other, still hugging, and then started to laugh.

"Let's go back inside. It'll be warmer," he said. "Plus, now I can protect you easier. You can hardly walk, so I won't need to be chasing you anywhere."

"Oh, har-har. You're so funny, Oliver."

"I know."

"You're right, though. I don't think I'll be able to walk up to the house. I feel sick."

"That's okay. I'll carry you," he said, and she didn't even protest.

By the time they walked into the house, Miley was sleeping; her arms were wrapped around his neck and her head was lying in the crook between his neck and shoulder. Oliver was just glad that he had gotten to her when he had. He shuddered just thinking about what could have happened to her.

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A/N: Wow, that was pretty long, wasn't it? Please review! The next chapter will probably be another flashback about what happens after they go back to the party. And don't worry; Miley will eventually remember getting drunk and all that.


	5. Here in Your Arms

A/N: I know it's been a while…kind of. It hasn't been _that_ long, but here's the next part! It's the last flashback. So chapter six will be in present time.

Disclaimer:I don't own Hannah Montana and anything related to the Disney Channel Show. The title is the first three lines of the Boy Likes Girls song _Hero/Heroine_. _Here in Your Arms is_ a song by Hellogoodbye! LOOOOOVE IT!

**--It's Too Late--**

Chapter Five: Here in Your Arms

_The Night Before…Still_

When they got back to the house, Miley was still passed out in Oliver's arms. They got a few curious stares from people, but Oliver just ignored them and took her to the room with the couch. He gently placed her down on it, hoping she wouldn't wake up.

Then, he sat down at the end of the couch by her feet and let out a deep breath. He put his head in his hands and stayed like that, just thinking to himself, until he felt Miley stir.

"Um, Oliver?" Oliver looked up and over at her. He let out a weak smile for her benefit.

"Miley. Hey, you're up." He moved closer to her and helped her sit up. She didn't say anything until they were both sitting comfortably, sides touching.

"So, about what happened back there…" she started. Oliver put his hand up to stop her.

"Don't worry about it, Miles." She frowned and crossed her arms.

"No, Oliver. That was a big deal. I was such an idiot." His eyes widened when she said that.

"No you weren't. Miley—"

"Yes, yes I was, Oliver. I shouldn't have been drinking. That was so stupid."

"Yeah, especially the part where you paraded around singing lines from your own song, and got all huffy with me."

"Hey, you just said that I wasn't stupid."

"You're not. Just annoying sometimes."

"Well, thanks so much." They were quiet for a short while, and for some reason, it was uncomfortable. Probably because they were both thinking about what could have and almost did happen to her.

"Look, Oliver, after I talked to you," Oliver raised his eyebrows at her, "er, _yelled_ at you, and then left with that, that…" she furrowed her eyebrows as if trying to put together her next thought, "asshole, well…I just wasn't thinking straight."

"You got that right." Miley laughed lightly.

"It's really not that funny," Oliver said, his mood immediately changing. "You could have been seriously hurt. And in more ways than one."

"Okay, okay, I get it. You're my _hero_," she said, and nudged him in the side. When she looked at him, though, his eyes weren't smiling. In fact, he looked a little angry. He was thinking about when that guy Matt, the bastard, had called him her hero. He had said it so sarcastically, and it pissed Oliver off so much just remembering it. It wasn't Miley's fault, he knew; she probably didn't remember herself that he had said it.

"Don't joke around about that, Miley. I was really scared for you." That shut her up. After another minute of just looking at each other, she spoke again.

"I was pretty scared for myself," she admitted. And then, without another word, she put her arms around him and buried her head into his neck. Oliver wasn't expecting her to do this so he just stayed where he was.

"Uh," Miley said from his neck, "It would be so much easier to hug you if you'd turn your body a little and actually _accept_ my hug," she joked.

"Oh…yeah," he said awkwardly before shifting to his right and wrapping his arms around her shoulders. Now, her right cheek was smashed up against his chest and his head was resting on top of hers. It was one of those embraces where you felt like you never wanted to let go of the other person and Oliver found himself very comfortable. Miley seemed to fit perfectly into his frame. He had wanted to hold her like this for a while now, and even though it wasn't under the exact same circumstances that he would have liked, he sure didn't mind.

While they held each other, Oliver's thoughts moved to a semi-fantasy in which he was in a different situation and Miley was clinging on to him for different, less extreme reasons.

-

_"Oliver, I don't know why I'm thinking this exactly, but I can't help but notice that your hair looks…amazing today." Oliver put his hands into his back pockets and shrugged._

_"I used a new shampoo this morning." Miley stepped closer to him and placed her hands on the sides of his face. She slowly glided them through his hair; her finger nails lighting scratching his scalp. He closed his eyes and sighed._

_"Wow, it's even softer than it looks." Oliver cracked open one eye and smirked at her. Miley continued to rub her hands through his hair._

_"You're…really good at that," he managed to say to her. Miley gave him her own smirk._

_"Actually, I'm pretty sure I'm even better at, other things," she said suggestively. Oliver opened both of his eyes and stared down at her in surprise. He didn't have much time to think, though because Miley quickly stood up on her tip toes and captured his mouth with her own._

_That is when they both put their arms around each other in a passionate hold and continued to kiss each other fervently. _

Now that was the type of embrace that Oliver secretly wished he could have with Miley.

-

He stayed in his little daydream for about a minute, and then realized how deluded he was. Here she was, in his arms for real, _finally_, and all he could think about was some twisted fantasy in which a fake Miley practically throws herself at him, and acts nothing like her true self. He realized in that minute that he never wanted Miley to act that way. He liked her just the way she was. The Miley in his arms was the real Miley, the one that he had fallen for and not some carbon copy who looked the same, but acted like an experienced slut.

Without really realizing what he was doing, he placed a delicate kiss onto her head, his way of thanking her for being the wonderful girl that she was. He kissed her right where her forehead met her hairline. It was such a small, caring gesture and could easily be interpreted as friendly, but Miley found herself shivering when his lips touched her skin. He felt her shiver, but didn't know why.

"Are you cold?" he asked kindly, for the second time that night. He started to run his hands up and down her arms. That just caused her to shiver even more. In fact, her skin developed goose bumps.

Miley laughed nervously and pulled away from him slightly.

_Since when does Oliver make my skin tingle?_ she asked herself.

She bent her head back a little to look up at him and was surprised to see such an intense gaze looking back at her.

_Why is he looking at me like that?_

"Oliver?" she said, questioningly. She wasn't sure why she said his name like a question, but his answer proved to be even more astonishing that her gooseflesh.

Ever so slowly, before he could talk himself out of it, Oliver moved his head down towards her, fully intent on connecting his lips with Miley's.

_If she pulls away, at least I'll know that I tried,_ he rationalized.

She didn't move, just stared at him curiously as his face got closer and closer to hers, and soon they were just a millimeter apart. Though she knew he wanted to kiss her, and was surprised by that, she surprised herself even more when she lifted her head that extra millimeter to close in the space between them.

It was a soft kiss. Gentle. There was nothing forced or rushed about it. At first none of them actually moved, they just let their lips stay pushed together, and it was enough. They kept their eyes open, too until eventually, they both started to move their lips, and the kiss deepened. Miley closed her eyes first and then moved her arms so that they were wrapped around his neck. He quickly shut his own eyes and pulled her closer to him.

She started to play with his hair, running her hands through it, just like in his daydream, pulling his head closer to hers as they continued to kiss. She had no idea what that small gesture did to him though; she didn't yet know about his hair fetish. When she let out a light sigh, Oliver couldn't contain himself any longer and he actually pulled her so close to him so that she was now sitting in his lap. Miley didn't seem to mind, though, because she just moaned again and opened her mouth a little so that the kiss could deepen even more.

For some reason, all rational thoughts seemed to fly from Miley's head. She forgot about that fact that Oliver was her best friend, and that she was kissing him, and not some random boy. She briefly wondered why she had never thought to kiss Oliver before, but then, she just stopped thinking at all. She just wanted to feel. As far as she knew, having Oliver pressed up against her, their lips caressing each other, felt good. It felt really, _really_ good.

----------

They stayed on that couch for what seemed like forever. People came and went from the room, and nobody gave the kissing couple a second glance. To them, they were just two kids who were hooking up at a party.

Oliver and Miley didn't talk when they finally pulled away from each other. There wasn't anything that either of them could think of to say. All they did was continue to hold on and gaze into each other's eyes. Both of them were searching for answers to their several questions, but since none of them said a word, all they could do was wonder.

When Miley leaned into him again, Oliver didn't hesitate to carry on kissing her. A short while later, they both got tired and promptly fell asleep. They were so close, but it wasn't weird. Neither of them minded. They just held on tighter and right before he shut his eyes for good, Oliver leaned down and gave her a quick peck on her forehead once more.

The rest is history.

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A/N: Yay! Can't wait to read what you think…


	6. Say Anything Else

A/N: Oh, look! This story LIVES ON! Thanks for all the reviews. The more I get, the faster I want to update. Oh, and this might seem like a slow, pointless chapter, but I am a believer in the word "slow". I despise stories when things happen SOOOOO fast. Haha. Yeah, I know. This story began pretty fast, but that was part of the plot. You'll see what I mean. I like angst…and _obstacles_. I'm done now.

Disclaimer:I don't own Hannah Montana and anything related to the Disney Channel Show. The title is the first three lines of the Boy Likes Girls song _Hero/Heroine_. _Say Anything (Else)_ is a Cartel song.

**--It's Too Late--**

Chapter Six: Say Anything (Else)

_Present Time_

"Lilly! Stop hogging the damn syrup. Other people need it, too, ya know!" Miley complained, reaching across the booth, trying unsuccessfully to pry it from Lilly's hands. It looked like she was trying to drown her pancakes in the sweet, sticky liquid.

"Calm down, Miley. I'm almost done," Lilly replied, letting the syrup drip slowly to a stop on top of her food. Jackson and Oliver just stared at her, their mouths hanging open. Lilly noticed and stuck out her tongue.

"Jeez. I like syrup. Stop staring at me like that!" She handed the syrup to Miley who took it eagerly and poured a normal amount on her French toast.

"So, how was this party you guys went to yesterday?" Lilly asked innocently, before stuffing her mouth full of pancake. Oliver and Miley exchanged glances.

"It was fun," Miley finally said, lamely.

"Oh reeeally," said Jackson. "And what exactly did you do that was so, 'fun'?" He put air quotes around the word "fun". Oliver's eyes bulged.

"Not much. Just danced a bit and did some karaoke." Lilly almost spit out her pancake when Miley said this.

"What?" she practically screamed. Oliver caught on quickly.

"Relax, Lilly. She pretended to be bad." Miley slapped his arm lightly. They were seated next to each other in the booth.

"I did _not_ sound bad!"

"Well you sure didn't sound like Hannah Montana!" he rebutted. They were facing each other now, faces close.

"Yeah, well I wasn't supposed to sound like her!" Miley semi-yelled back. Jackson cut in.

"Okay, okay, guys. Chill out. We get it."

"Sorry. I just don't like it when people say that my singing is bad," she said, pointedly looking at Oliver. He held up his hands in surrender.

"Sorry. I was just speaking the truth." Miley just glared at him.

"It really cuts deep," she said. "I mean, I'm supposed to be a good singer."

"And you are," said Lilly reaching over and putting a comforting hand on Miley's arm.

"Eww, Lilly!" Miley exclaimed, slapping Lilly's hands away.

"What?" she asked, confused.

"You've got syrup all over your hands! And now my arm is sticky." Lilly held her hands out in front of her.

"Well, look at that!" she squeaked, happily surprised for some reason. Oliver and Jackson just shook their heads.

"You sure are odd," Jackson stated.

"Believe me," said Oliver. "You don't get used to it." He and Miley traded knowing looks.

They all then continued to eat, only making small talk every few minutes. For some reason, Miley noticed that Oliver was sitting very stiffly next to her. His posture was perfect and all of his movements seemed calculated. She kept sneaking inquisitive glances at him, but he refused to look her in the eye.

_What's wrong with him_? she thought to herself.

She decided that maybe he was just nervous about something, but she couldn't think of what.

_I'll just ask him later, I guess. _

She shrugged and then reached to her left to pick up the syrup canister. Her French toast needed some refueling. At the same time, Oliver reached for it with his right hand. Their hands touched.

Miley shivered at the contact. Oliver's cheeks instantly colored and they both pulled away. A few seconds later, they both reached for it again.

"That's okay, you can take it," they both said at the same time. Miley giggled nervously.

"Miley," Oliver said. "Take the syrup."

"No, _you_."

Jackson and Lilly watched them curiously.

"Well, while you two decide who gets it first, I think I'll take it," Jackson said, reaching over and taking it away from both of them. They both exclaimed words of annoyance.

"Come on, Jackson! That was mine!"

"Hey, I thought you were going to let me have it!" Oliver asked.

"Yeah, well, I changed my mind. Whatever happened to the 'ladies first' rule?"

"Nothing. I _did_ offer it to you. You just chose to be complicated."

"Um, do you guys realize that you're fighting over who gets the syrup back first?" Lilly asked.

"Oh, what do you care, Lilly, you have enough on your plate for all four of us," Miley stated, pointing to her best friend's plate. Lilly just grinned.

"That I do!" she said gleefully. Everyone else just rolled their eyes.

----------

After paying the bill, Jackson and Oliver split the cost and the girls paid the tip, they decided to head off to their respective homes.

"Come on, Miles. You can fix me a nice sandwich when we get home."

"Jackson, we just ate!"

"What's your point?" he asked, grinning. Miley and Lilly laughed.

"Okay, well, see you guys later," Oliver said, removing himself from the group and heading in the opposite direction.

"Yeah. I'll call you later, Miley. Bye Jackson. Bye Oliver!" Lilly said. She jogged away.

"That girl can be so strange sometimes," Jackson murmured, watching her leave them.

"So? Why does that surprise you?" Miley asked him.

"It doesn't. I was just saying."

"Okaaay. Sure." She paused, thinking about Oliver. "Listen, big bro, ya mind if I catch ya later at home? I need to go talk to Oken over there." She pointed at his retreating back.

"Yeah, sure. But you better hurry up and catch up to him. He's really bookin' it."

"I will! See ya!" she called as she copied Lilly and jogged away. Jackson just shook his head and continued back to the Stewart's residence on his own.

----------

It took Miley a whole minute to catch up to Oliver. She called his name right before she reached him.

"Hey, Oliver!" When she got up to him, she grabbed his arm just as he turned around. She bumped into his chest with a _thump_ and he steadied her with his hands. For a second they both just stood still, looking at each other.

_Why do I feel funny right now_? Miley wondered.

"Miley," he said as she stepped away from him and looked him straight in the eye. "Hey." Miley tapped her foot impatiently.

"What's with you, Oken? Why'd ya act so weird at breakfast this morning?" she asked.

"Yeah. About that. I'm sorry."

"What are you sorry about?" They started walking again.

"Are you walking me to my house?" he asked, jokingly. "Because if you're trying to make me look bad, you doing a fine job of it. Aren't the guys supposed to walk the girls home?"

"Whatever. Why does that matter?"

"It doesn't. Never mind."

"What is _with_ you?" she asked again.

"Nothing."

"_Nothing_ sure seems like _something_."

"Look, Miley. I'm not so sure we should talk about it right now." He started to take larger steps, quickening his pace at the same time. She struggled to keep up, and when she reached him, she grabbed his arm again and stopped him. There it was again, that strange shiver. She quickly let go of him.

"Whatever _it_ is, I want to know. What's wrong? I think right now is a good time to discuss whatever it is that's making you act all mysterious," she said. She crossed her arms for good measure. He could tell she meant business.

Oliver sighed and scratched the back of his neck.

"Look, this is really awkward to tell you, but…" he trailed off and looked past her, at a tree, a mail box, the pavement, anything but her bright, blue, inquiring eyes.

"_Oliver_. Just tell me." He continued to stare past her shoulders, so she finally let out a frustrated sound and turned around to leave.

"Fine! If you don't want to talk to me, your _best_ friend, who by they way, you're supposed to be able to say _anything_ to, then _fine_! I'll just go!" she screamed as she stomped away. She wasn't expecting him to follow her and grab _her_ arm.

"Miley, wait. I'm sorry." She turned around and looked down at his hand that was wrapped around her upper arm.

"Why do you keep saying 'sorry' to me?" she asked quietly. She didn't look up at him, just kept her gaze on his hand.

"Miley, look at me." She slowly lifted her head.

"What, now you want _me_ to look at you?"

"Yes," he answered simply.

"Will you just tell me what's on your mind?" He nodded. They started to walk towards his house again. He let go of her arm, and Miley realized that she had goose bumps where his hand had touched. She rubbed both of her arms to try and get rid of them.

"What, are you cold again? It's like seventy degrees out here," Oliver mused.

"What do you mean, 'am I cold, _again_'?" she asked. Oliver blushed lightly.

"Why are you blushing?"

"Whoa, Miley. Can our talk just wait a little while? At least until we get to my house?" he pleaded. He looked so sincere and nervous for some reason, so Miley just shook her head silently. They walked the rest of the way to his house in silence.

----------

A/N: So yeah. My chapter titles are all songs…but they don't really have anything to do with the chapter, per say. They titles are just supposed to _kind of _fit. Review please!


	7. Everything We Were

A/N: This is a short chapter. I'm posting it really late at night, but who cares? I'm not sure when I'll be able to tomorrow. Oh, and enjoy the contents of this chapter while it lasts. It is VERY OOC, but whatever. Thanks for the reviews…ENJOY!

Disclaimer:I don't own Hannah Montana and anything related to the Disney Channel Show. The title is the first three lines of the Boy Likes Girls song _Hero/Heroine_. _Everything We Were Has Become What We Are_ is a song by Amber Pacific.

**--It's Too Late--**

Chapter Seven: Everything We Were Has Become What We Are

Miley and Oliver were sitting next to each other on Oliver's family's couch. She was looking at him curiously and he was blushing, remembering the last time the two had been on a couch together.

Oliver took a deep breath and coughed.

"Well, this is awfully uncomfortable," he stated.

"It is," replied Miley, jiggling her right foot to some unknown beat. "But I'm not exactly sure why…"

"Yeah. I know. It's just that, what I have to tell you is a little hard to say. For me, at least."

"Oliver, whatever it is, I can take it. I'm a big girl now." She smiled sweetly at him.

"Believe me, Miles. I _know_." She gave him a weird look.

"Okay, forget that. Anyways, what I need to tell you is…" he glanced away, finding that he couldn't look into her eyes. "I haven't been completely honest with you."

"What do you mean?" she asked, her leg still jiggling. Oliver took notice of this and before he knew it, he had reached out and touched her thigh. She immediately stopped shaking her leg.

They both stared at his hand. He quickly removed it from her blue jeans.

"Uh, sorry."

"No, it's okay. I was being annoying." She paused. The spot where he had touched her was tingling, but she shook her head, and tried to ignore it. "I mean, what do you mean you haven't been completely honest with me?"

_And why exactly is my leg tingling_? she thought

Oliver looked into her eyes once more. She looked really worried, like he was going to tell her something horrible, and in a way, he felt like he was.

"Miley," he started. "I remember everything that happened last night." At this confession, her eyes widened and her pupils seemed to dilate.

Suddenly she was hit with an onslaught of thoughts and images.

_Her accepting a plastic cup of beer…her dancing provocatively in front of strange boys…her yelling at Oliver and singing lines from her own songs…her down at the beach, alone with a boy she hardly knew, feeling really scared…Oliver suddenly being there and punching him…her passing out in his arms…her waking up…them talking…Them touching…Them…_

The whole time she was thinking to herself, Oliver just watched her. She didn't say anything, but the expression on her face was pretty readable. It was like, all of a sudden, she was remembering something. Her face kept going from a look of surprise, to one of even more surprise and eventually, her mouth hung open slightly.

He didn't know what to say to her. Obviously she needed some time to process whatever it was she was thinking.

Then, Oliver had a thought.

"Miley?" he asked tentatively. She seemed to snap out of her daze right when she heard her name.

"Yeah?" she asked weakly.

"You don't happen to…remember any events from last night, right?" Her eyes widened once again. "I mean, I was just thinking. You were drunk, sure, but you weren't so wasted that you wouldn't be able to remembering certain things. Do you remember _anything_?" he prompted.

"I…" she trailed off. He could tell that she was feeling really nervous.

"It's okay, Miley. Just think about it. You can tell me if you do." She nodded.

"Oliver, I, I _sort_ of, remember some things, but…I'm not sure if what I'm remembering, if…." She trailed off again. She knew she sounded ridiculous and inarticulate.

"Go on, Miley." He looked so sincere that she decided to try again.

"I, I'm not sure if the things I'm seeing, in my head, if they actually happened."

"Well, that's easy. Just tell me what you remember." Even though it seemed to Miley like he wasn't uneasy with their whole conversation, his heart was actually beating so fast he was almost positive she would be able to hear it. He didn't know where his sudden courage had come from, to keep asking her questions, hoping to lead her to the end of the night when they had kissed, but he decided to flow with it.

"Um, it's all kind of embarrassing, I think."

"True, but you can trust me. I won't laugh or anything." _She_ laughed.

"Okay. Well, I just remember drinking, a _lot_, and then acting a little, wild, and then getting mad and yelling at you…and then I remember that _guy_," she shuddered involuntarily. "I remember what he tried to do to me." She stopped talking. Her eyes welled up with tears. Oliver became worried.

"Miley, it's okay," he soothed. "You're okay."

"That's the thing," she said. He looked confused.

"What do you mean?"

"Well, then I remember you running up to us, out of nowhere, and saving me. You _saved_ me," she repeated, like she was realizing it for the first time. "Oh, _God_. Thank God you were there," she said and then suddenly his arms were around her and he was hugging her tightly to his chest. She sniffled.

"Don't cry, Miley."

"I'll try."

They were both quiet. Then, Miley pulled away slowly.

"I also remember, this," she said. She motioned to them. "The hugging." He smiled.

"Really?"

"Yeah. You were so caring and comforting."

"You _know_ I try." She cracked a smile.

"Oliver." That's all she said, just his name, like a statement.

"Yeah?"

"I remember us...you know." Oliver flushed. Miley noticed him do this, and she started to redden, too. "Wow, look at us. We're both seventeen, but here we are, blushing like a bunch of middle schoolers."

"Oh, ha-ha. I think we're a little more mature than that, by now." She nodded.

"Maybe." They were both quiet again.

"I guess this explains why we woke up the way we did," she mused.

"Yup. Well, I mean, I knew already."

"Yeah, yeah." There was silence again.

"So?" he finally asked her.

"So, what?"

"What are you thinking?"

She looked at him. All she could see were his deep brown eyes and his dark floppy hair. All _he_ could see were her wide blue eyes, staring back at him intensely.

She hesitantly reached her hand up and brushed his hair out of his eyes. Oliver's breath caught in his throat.

"What are you doing?" he asked. She put her hands on his knees. Throughout all the confessing, they had turned their bodies towards each other, and their knees were touching.

"Well, you asked me what I was thinking." She removed her hands from his knees and unhurriedly ran them up his arms, eventually bringing them to his shoulders. He looked at her hands and gulped.

"Um…"

"Well, I'm thinking that," she leaned in closer to him, "_this_ is a good idea."

And then, she leaned in as far as she could before she pressed her lips to his tenderly.

They both sighed.

---------

A/N: Yeah…that was pretty quick, huh? Well, you know you wanted it to happen anyways. Let's see how they deal with it in the next installment!


	8. Smile Like You Mean It

A/N: So…I know, I know. It's been a long while. And I'm deeply sorry. But I've finally written the eighth chapter, and I hope you all enjoy it. It's kinda weird to update on a Monday, but whatevs. Thanks for all the reviews!

Disclaimer:I don't own Hannah Montana and anything related to the Disney Channel Show. The title is the first three lines of the Boy Likes Girls song _Hero/Heroine_. _Smile Like You Mean It_ is a song by The Killers

**--It's Too Late--**

Chapter Eight: Smile Like You Mean It

Last Time…

"What are you doing?" he asked. She put her hands on his knees. Throughout all the confessing, they had turned their bodies towards each other, and their knees were touching.

"Well, you asked me what I was thinking." She removed her hands from his knees and unhurriedly ran them up his arms, eventually bringing them to his shoulders. He looked at her hands and gulped.

"Um…"

"Well, I'm thinking that," she leaned in closer to him, "_this_ is a good idea."

And then, she leaned in as far as she could before she pressed her lips to his tenderly.

They both sighed.

----------

After that first kiss, well, sort of first kiss, Miley and Oliver just looked at each other and grinned. He was pretty surprised, to say the least, but then he realized that there was no reason for him to be. Miley was just acting like, Miley. He knew her; she acted on feeling. She didn't think about consequences, she just _did_. And he wasn't going to complain.

----------

Lilly was sitting on her bed feeling bored as ever. Since it was Saturday afternoon and she didn't have anything planned so far, there was really nothing going on. Even though she had just hung out with her two best friends, she found herself reaching for her cell phone and dialing Miley's number.

It rang, and rang, and rang and then finally it stopped and Lilly heard Miley's bubbly voice. It was, however, her voicemail and not the real thing.

"_Hey, it's Miley! I'm not here right now, but if you tell me the best thing that's happened to you today, I promise I'll get back to you_!" she started laughing kind of manically at the end and then yelled a hurried, "_Bye_!" in her southern twang. Before the beep even sounded, Lilly contemplated hanging up. Miley had had that as her voicemail for a couple years now and it had gotten old. In the beginning Lilly would humor Miley with her stories, but after a while, she just stopped. Today, though, she decided to leave a message the old way. While rolling her eyes.

"Hey, Miles. Let's see, the best thing that's happened to me today…" Lilly paused, mulling it over. "Well, I guess it would have to be having those humongous pancakes this morning. Damn those were good!" While she was talking, Lilly grabbed a piece of her blonde hair and started to twirl it around her finger. "So, where are you? I hope you're not shopping or something girly like that without me. That would really make me sad. Anyways, I'm off to bother Oliver now. I'm really bored and want to do something. Call me back! Bye!"

She hung up and then waited a minute before dialing Oliver's number. Without even ringing, it went straight to his voicemail.

"_Yo, you've reached the Smokin' Oken. Ladies, I'm single and lookin' for love. Leave me something hot. Everyone else, hopefully you know what to do after the beep_." Lilly rolled her eyes once more.

"Oliver! WHERE ARE YOU? Why is your phone off? Ahhh…!" She shut her phone and threw it on her bed. Then, she went over to her stereo and put on a CD.

She listened to some power pop for about five minutes before she decided to dial Miley's phone again. She still didn't pick up.

"Well maybe I'll just drop by her house and see what she's up to," she said out loud.

She ran a brush haphazardly through her hair, realized it was too tangled to just brush through once, got frustrated and just put it into a messy pony tail. Then she looked down at her outfit. It wasn't exactly mall clothing, she had changed into blue sweats and a green t-shirt after coming home from breakfast, but she figured if her and Miley decided to go out, she could just borrow some of Miley's clothes. It came in handy that they were practically the same size.

She walked out of her room and down the stairs. As she walked out the door, cell phone clipped to her waist and brand new skateboard in hand, she called out, "I'm going out to Miley's if anyone's listening!" There was no answer and she just shrugged, closed the door and skated away.

------------

Lilly ran up the steps of the Stewart's house about five minutes later and knocked on the door twice before ringing the doorbell. She tapped her foot impatiently after no one answered for a whole minute. Right when she lifted her fist to knock once more, it opened to reveal Jackson, rubbing his eyes and looking dazed.

"What?" he asked.

"Um, can I come in?"

"Yeah, I guess."

"Where's Miley?" she asked as she stepped in the house.

"In her room probably."

"Sweet! I'll just go run up there."

"Yeah, whatever…" Jackson said tiredly as he shut the door. He walked back over to the couch where he had been taking a restful nap and proceeded to pass out once more. Lilly was already upstairs knocking on Miley's door as he did this.

She didn't answer.

"Miley!" No answer. "I'm coming in! It's Lilly!" she said as she opened the door and looked around. Miley was no where in sight. "Miley?" she called out quietly. "MILEY!" she yelled. Still no answer. "Where is this girl?"

Shaking her head, she turned around, shut the door and started to head back downstairs. When she turned the corner into the kitchen, she didn't see Jackson and wondered if he had retreated to his room.

"Jackson?" she called out. She still didn't get an answer. Frustrated even more, Lilly stomped her foot hard on the kitchen tiles. Then, she grabbed a stool and sat on it, considering what to do next. She decided that maybe she shouldn't be hanging around Miley's place when nobody was with her.

As she was passing through the living room, she felt like kicking herself. There was Jackson, passed out face down on the sofa, making quiet little sleeping noises. She wondered briefly how he could breathe in that position before she walked closer to him and stuck her head close to his ear.

"Jacksoooon," she said softly, exaggerating on the "o" in his name.

He immediately stirred, jerking so much that he pushed himself off of the couch. Lilly jumped out of the way, but not before he hit her feet.

"Jeez!" she squeaked. He looked up at her with sleepy eyes and didn't say anything. She stood there with her arms folded across her chest. She waited for him to speak.

All he did was growl or make some other Neanderthal-like noise that surprised Lilly.

"You can use words you know," she said, and the annoyance in her voice was clear.

Jackson slowly picked himself up and then glared at her.

"Excuse me, but I think I get to be the one who's mad, don't I? You're the one that just woke me up and made me fall!" Lilly met his glare.

"That may be true, but you're the one that lied to me." Jackson looked confused, so she elaborated. "About Miley? Ring a bell? Do you remember about five minutes ago when you let me into your home and told me she was in her bedroom?" Jackson just scratched his head and sat back down on the couch.

"You know, she might still be at Oliver's," he said, grabbing the remote control and turning the TV on.

"What? What is she doing at Oliver's?"

"I don't make it a point to find out every detail of my little sister's agenda. She just said she needed to talk to him," he answered in a bored voice, while flipping through endless channels of crappy television. "There's never anything good on TV during Saturday afternoons!" he complained.

Lilly wasn't listening. She was thinking about Miley and Oliver at his house, apparently talking.

"Oh my gosh! What if she's telling him she likes him!" she screamed, the thought just fresh in her brain. Jackson made a movement like he was blocking his ears because of her high volume, but Lilly just swatted his hands away and then sat down next to him. "Oh, I just knew this was going to happen! I knew she'd crack first. Oliver, he has good intentions, but deep down, he's way too much of a coward. At least when it comes to things like love. He's just too afraid of rejection." Jackson was hardly listening to her but he let out a quiet, "Aren't we all?" and she continued. "This is just great! Don't you think it's about time? Oh my gosh! My two best friends are about to get together! Ahhh!"

When she screamed, Jackson finally shut the TV off and turned to look at her. Lilly got a little too excited sometimes.

"Will you please shut your mouth?"

"Excuse me?" she asked, perturbed.

"Jeez, like I care about any of what you're talking about. And plus, you don't even really know what she needed to talk to him about. It could be homework. Yeah, Miley's probably just asking him about homework."

"Yeah, suuure. Oh, and don't even pretend like you're not interested. I know your type. You're the older brother who never wants to see his little sister dating, or at least never wants to talk about it. Well Jackson, news flash. Miley's been dating since the eighth grade and I have been waiting for her and Oliver to get together for like, years now. So, you can stop pretending like you don't care and don't see the signs and just agree with me that they'd be the perfect couple."

"Why do I have to 'agree' about anything with you are saying? You should be talking to some girl about all this, not me. And also, how do you even know that she likes him? Has she told you?"

"Well, no, not exactly. I mean, it's not really something we talk about, but I just know, you know?" Jackson stared at her.

"No. _Really_, I don't."

"Well, it's true. She likes him, and I know he likes her. It's _so_ obvious. And now, she's totally telling him. You saw the way they acted at breakfast. Some_thing_ happened at that party!"

"Okay, please stop. I don't want to hear about any of that. As far as I know, nothing happened at that party, just like both of them said. That's what I'm gonna believe. Plus, you're right. I _am_ Miley's older brother and I don't like the idea of Oliver coming on to her. She deserves someone more…" he trailed off, thinking. After about thirty seconds, Lilly jumped in.

"Someone like Oliver, right?" Jackson looked annoyed.

"Well, maybe, I guess…Oken is a good guy."

"Oh don't even deny it."

"I'm not denying anything; I just don't like this conversation. It's lame."

"You're lame."

"Honey, I haven't been lame since I left Tennessee."

"Yeah, you wish. Like moving to Malibu made you so cool. Pssh."

"Well, whatever. I'm in college now. That's cool."

"Are you trying to convince me or yourself?"

"I don't know anymore." They were both quiet for a bit.

"So, uh, do you want to just wait for Miley to come home?"

"Yeah, I do."

"Okay."

"Okay."

They both smiled.

----------

Meanwhile…

Miley and Oliver were still at Oliver's house. Unlike Jackson, they had found something to watch on TV together. Currently, they were watching an old teen movie that was a modern day adaptation of the Cyrano de Bergerac story. Miley liked it because she thought it was hilarious and that the romance was cute. Oliver liked it because _he_ thought it was hilarious, he loved to hear Miley laugh, and the best friends get together in the end. They held hands for the entire movie, and when the credits rolled, they didn't let go.

----------

A/N: So, I guess the next chapter will have a little more Lilly and Jackson…I mean, what are they doing while Miley and Oliver are just sitting there all cute and watching the movie? Oh, and do you guys know what movie it was? I personally LOVE IT! Review please!!!!!


	9. Hold on Tightly, Let go Lightly

A/N: So, I just wanted to say a quick thank you for all of my readers and every single person who has reviewed this story and been begging me to continue. Well, I finally have, haha. Yay! I'm sorry it took me so long, but I promised I'd be back and here I am. I'll just let you read on now.

Oh, and the movie they watched is _Whatever It Takes_. Lovvvve it!

Disclaimer:I don't own Hannah Montana and anything related to the Disney Channel Show. The title is the first three lines of the Boy Likes Girls song _Hero/Heroine_. _Hold on Tightly, Let go Lightly_is a song by Boys Night Out.

**--It's Too Late--**

Chapter Nine: Hold on Tightly, Let go Lightly

Last Time…

Miley and Oliver were still at Oliver's house. Unlike Jackson, they had found something to watch on TV together. Currently, they were watching an old teen movie that was a modern day adaptation of the Cyrano de Bergerac story. Miley liked it because she thought it was hilarious and that the romance was cute. Oliver liked it because _he_ thought it was hilarious, he loved to hear Miley laugh, and the best friends get together in the end. They held hands for the entire movie, and when the credits rolled, they didn't let go.

--

After the movie ended at Oliver's, Miley and Oliver weren't entirely sure what to do with themselves. Instead of talking and maybe discussing what they were going to do about their budding romance, they both kind of just sat there on Oliver's couch, not saying a word and not moving. They were still holding hands, but that was it.

Miley, the outgoing and bubbly girl-next-door was actually feeling a bit shy and Oliver, well, he hadn't had a girlfriend since sophomore year of high school and here they were, the summer before their senior year. Basically, he was a little out of practice when it came to dealing with girls, even if he knew this one like the back of his hand.

"So," said Oliver randomly after five whole minutes of complete silence.

"So…" she drawled out after him.

She stared at their entwined fingers. Oliver was drumming his thumb on her hand and she was deciding that she thought it was kind of cute, like one of his many quirks.

"So, I think I should probably head back home," she said after another minute of silence. He frowned. "Jackson's probably waiting for me, wondering where I am and what I'm doing."

"Oh. Yeah. That makes sense."

She couldn't help but giggle at that.

"I was joking."

Oliver blushed.

"Oh, right."

"Like Jackson's really losing sleep about me not being home right now," she said rolling her eyes. "He's probably passed out face down on the living room couch right now dreaming about candy."

They both laughed.

"Then again, I should probably get back just to make sure he doesn't stop breathing during his nap. It really is a wonder how he gets enough oxygen into his brain when he sleeps on his face like that."

"I understand," Oliver replied nodding his head.

"And I think Lilly wanted to hang out later so I should probably go find out about that as well." He just nodded some more. "Do you want to go to a movie with us or something, later on tonight?" she asked hopefully turning her body towards his and clutching his hand just a little bit tighter in hers.

"That would be fun," he said casually, trying to sound like he wasn't too eager when really he was ecstatic at the thought of being able to hang out with her some more with a more couple-y status.

"Would you do me a favor?" she asked him.

"Yeah, sure. Anything."

"Would you please walk me home?"

He gave her a slow smile.

"Of course."

--

"So, are we going to tell Lilly that we kissed?" Miley asked Oliver on the short walk over to her house.

"You mean, kissed several times. Not just once," he corrected, not even bothering to hide his smirk. She rolled her eyes. He didn't know where his sudden confidence was coming from, but it seemed like the old-joking Oliver was returning quickly.

"Whatever, it's the same news."

"Well, okay. I mean, yeah. My answer is yeah. We have to tell her. And even if I said no, I know you girls. You'd tell her no matter what my opinion."

"Okay, well, I think a better phrasing of my question was, 'Are we going to tell Lilly _right away_ about our…kisses?'"

"Oh," he said, slightly stumped. "I don't know. I guess that's your decision."

"My decision? You're not going to help me choose?"

"I personally don't really care if we tell her right now or if we wait."

"Well…I don't want her to feel awkward when we hang out tonight," Miley said reasonably.

"Yeah, that is something to consider."

"But then again, maybe she'll be okay with it. With us. I mean, she had to see it coming, right?"

Oliver stopped walking and since they were still holding hands, she stopped, too.

"Miley, did _you_ see it coming?" he asked her earnestly.

"Well, no, not exactly," she started slowly, "but that doesn't matter!"

He raised an eyebrow at her and continued to walk again.

"Right, okay."

Miley ignored the sarcasm in his voice.

"So should we tell her?" she continued.

"I already told you, it's your decision."

"Well, should we tell her together? Or should I just pull her aside and tell her by myself?"

"I honestly don't know. Maybe it would feel like we were ambushing her if we both did it. But then again, maybe she'll feel betrayed if I'm not there, too."

"Yes, these, are all good things to consider."

"I know."

"But wait, what exactly are we going to tell her? Are we going to tell her about the party? Because I feel like that might be a bit too much, too soon."

"Um, Miles?"

"Yeah?"

"We're at your house."

"Crap! We're at my house and we haven't come up with any decisions. What are we going to do?"

"Um, why don't we just wait and tell her at some other point in time?"

She looked at him, thoughtfully.

"I suppose…that would be okay. I mean, it sounds like a good idea. I mean, I don't want to make her feel uncomfortable."

"Plus, I don't really need Jackson finding out right now."

"And why's that?" she asked curiously.

"Because by going out with me, you're breaking one of his rules of this weekend: No boys."

"Going out?" She made a face at him.

He started to blush; she always made him blush.

"Well, I mean, I guess not if you don't. No. Yeah. Want."

"Huh?"

"I don't know," he said with a simple shrug of his shoulders and a small smile that she couldn't help but giggle at.

She nudged his arm.  
"Calm down, Oliver. I was just joking around with you. You know I'd love to go out with you. I just wasn't sure if we actually…were."

"Well, it's better than the alternative," he stated.

"And what's the alternative?"

"Duh. Not going out?" She shook her head as she made her way up the steps to her house.

"Right." She started to open the front door but paused to turn back to him. "Thanks for walking me home, Oliver."

"No problem," he said.

"So, I'll see you later on tonight?"

"Sure, just give me a call after you and Lilly make plans."

"Okay, bye!" she said quickly letting go of his hand lightly and turned away from him to go into her house. At the last second though, she decided to turn around and after placing her right hand on his left cheek, proceeded to give him a soft kiss on his lips. Then she stepped back and winked at him.

"Bye, Miles," he said kind of dazedly and did a sort of wave at her.

They shared one last smile and then Miley stepped into her house. Her grin lasted about ten seconds before it turned into a look of pure horror.

Right there in plain view was the sight of her best friend and her brother in what she could only describe as one compromising situation.

"What are you guys doing?" she shouted, clearly startled.

Jackson was on his back and Lilly was straddling his middle. His hands were tightly holding onto her hips and hers were clutching his shoulder blades.

"It's not what it looks like, I swear," cried Jackson quickly removing his hands from his sister's best friend's body and dropping them to his sides.

"Not what it looks like," Lilly repeated, nodding her head vigorously and removing her hands as well.

"Are you guys, _wrestling_?" Miley asked uncertainly, hoping with all her might that they would just answer her question in the affirmative. "On the floor?" she added.

"Um, then yeah." Lilly said slowly. "It's exactly what it looks like."

Jackson nodded his head rapidly and ended up knocking it on the floor. His cries of "Ow" were muffled by Miley's next question.

"But, _why_?"

Lilly and Jackson looked at each other hurriedly with anxious looks on their faces and both of them had the same thought: _Crap._

--

A/N: Sorry that I didn't show much of what's going on with Lilly and Jackson again like I said I would, but in the next chapter you'll definitely get enough, I swear. I mean, I have to show you how they got to where they are when Miley catches them, haha.

Please review and let me know what you think!


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